Thursday at Music Fest Northwest

Call in sick to work tomorrow

There’s a moment in a night out during the week where you must weigh the downside of how tired, hung over, and generally miserable you will be the next day during work with how much more fun you could have that night. The late night lineup tonight at Musicfest Northwest is going to make that decision much tougher.

Starting at 11 at the Roseland, mash-up maestro and copyright flaunter Girl Talk (né Gregg Gillis) takes the stage. With his last two albums, Feed the Animals and Night Ripper, dominating critics’ best of the year lists, and ingenious mash-ups including putting B.I.G. against Elton John’s "Tiny Dancer" and Rick Ross with David Bowie, Gillis’ appearance is the dance party to attend during the festival.

At 10:30 at Dante’s, Fat Cat Records labelmates and the toasts of Scottish indie rock Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad, and We Were Promised Jetpacks will perform. Twilight Sad’s "Cold Days From the Birdhouse" is simultaneously the saddest and second most uplifting thing you’ll hear at this festival.

Of course, Explosions in the Sky wins the most uplifting honor. At the Crystal Ballroom, the Austin band will simply blow the roof off with its intricate instrumental scores for the most epic life ever lived. Feel like you’re on the field with Tim Riggins and Matt Saracen at 10.

Speaking of Explosions in the Sky, Dirty Three, who had a heavy influence on the Austinites, will take the stage at Berbati’s at midnight to play their distinctive instrumental fusion of folk, rock, classical, and jazz.

And for the early birds who like their shows free, Wonder Ballroom has Philly low-fi psychedelic rockers Dr. Dog starting at 5:30 with Beaverton-born Helio Sequence’s idiosyncratic electronic rock following up at 7. Pick up your free tickets before the show over at Jackpot Records (while supplies last).

Looking at that list…the nodding off and bags under the eyes at work seem well worth it.